Mercer Women's Golf Takes Fifth at Lady Paladin Invitational

GREENVILLE, S.C. (School Release)- The Mercer women's golf team wrapped up its fall season on Sunday with a fifth place finish in the Lady Paladin Invitational at the Furman Golf Course. Junior Mary Alice Murphy's tie for eighth place marked the team's top individual placement.

Mercer's team total of 303 on Sunday was the fourth-best team score on the final day of the tournament. The Bears' 303 pushed the team's tournament total to 920 and helped the team beat out Appalachian State (939) for fifth place.

Chattanooga (896) won the team title by five strokes over host Furman. Nova Southeastern (908) and Samford (911) finished third and fourth.

After entering Sunday's play in a tie for second place overall, Murphy needed 79 strokes to complete the final round and dropped to a tie for eighth. Her tournament score of 255 established the Lookout Mountain, Tennessee native's third top-10 finish this season and 12th career top-10 placement.

Her classmate, Lacey Fears, carded Mercer's low round of the day with an even-par 72. Fears' 72 combined with scores of 78 and 76 in the first two rounds to help her place in a tie for 10th overall.

Senior Aurelie Wiriath fired a 77 and tied for 21st individually with a three-day total of 233. Sophomore Sarah Louie Brown finished strong with a 75 on Sunday and tied for 30th at 236. Senior Kaitlin Marrin completed her showing with a 79 and tied for 52nd.

Mercer's spring season begins on February 11 in The Lumberjack at Ocotillo, hosted by Northern Arizona at the Ocotillo Resort and Golf Course in Chandler, Arizona.